Publications

The BTI-Greensburg John Deere Dealership, which is powered by two wind turbines, is a model for commercial building efficiency.
Credit: Lynn Billman, NREL

On this page you will find publications about rebuilding green after a natural disaster. DOE and NREL provide technical assistance to help communities such as Greensburg, Kansas, and New Orleans, Louisiana, identify ways to incorporate energy efficiency and renewable energy into rebuilding activities. The following publications incorporate lessons learned from those experiences and provide information and resources for federal, state, and local agencies, and community leaders facing long-term disaster recovery. The documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Rebuilding After Disaster—Going Green From the Ground Up

The why and how of energy planning in disaster recovery for city leaders (PDF 3.2 MB).

From Tragedy to Triumph—Fact Sheet Series

Information and resources to help community leaders reach out to and educate various community constituents to engage them in the rebuilding green process:

Rebuilding Green Homes after Disaster: Information for homeowners about the benefits of rebuilding green (PDF 815 KB).
Rebuilding Green Buildings after Disaster: Information for commercial building owners and operators (PDF 934 KB).
Rebuilding with Renewable Energy after Disaster: Information for community decision makers and community members about incorporating renewable energy into rebuilding (PDF 708 KB).
Resources for Rebuilding Green after Disaster: A resource list for builders and architects (PDF 858 KB).

Greensburg, Kansas—A Better, Greener Place to Live

The inspiring story of Greensburg's recovery, with many examples of disaster recovery accomplishments. This is offered as an example of how to use rebuilding green as a "marketing" advantage when a community strives to bring former and new residents and businesses back to town (PDF 2.2 MB).

Rebuilding It Better—BTI-Greensburg John Deere Dealership

A fact sheet highlighting energy-saving features of a commercial building. This is an example of how a business might use its green commitment as a marketing advantage (PDF 1.2 MB).

How Would You Rebuild a Town Green?

This brochure provides information about the Greensburg Sustainable Building Database, which includes examples from Greensburg of the variety of buildings and projects that can save a community energy and increase renewable energy use (PDF 1 MB).